Stock-car



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. F. SEELE'Y. Stock Car.

25 Patented May '10 13 1,

N. PETERS} FhawLiihographer. Washington, D. C.

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. 1-. SHELBY.

Stock Car \X/ITN 55555 I I P NT fa mmfi ZA N PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, Washingion. D. C.

l I l UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrea.

MARQUIS F. SEELEY, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA. V

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,161, dated May 10, 1881. Application filed January 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARQUIS F. SEELEY, of Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cars and other Vehicles for the Transportation of Cattle; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to appliances by which to render the transportation of cattle over long distances, either by land or water, more safe and comfortable to the animals; and to this end it consists in providing cars or other vehicles of transportation with hammocks or slings for the support of the cattle in a standing posture, whereby the animals are relieved from the weariness of long standing upon the unstable platform, and are prevented from being cast in transit.

The invention also consists in several novel devices and combinations of devices by which the hammocks are applied to the car or other vehicle, or by which the general purposes of my invention are otherwise attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings my invention is shown'in its application to railroad-cars.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car, shortened, and with its covering removed to more clearly show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the car. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective View of an alternative construction of the movable stanehions.

A A are the uprights of the car-frame, and B is the central doorway on either side.

0 G are stronghorizontal cleats, firmly bolted to the lateral uprights of the car-frame on both sides, and extending from the central doorway, B, to the end of the car. In height they are located about midway of the animals trunk, or preferably somewhat higher. These cleats are intended to support a series of removable cross-bars, D, which divide the cattle and support the aprons or hammocks E, each of which reaches beneath the animal from one bar to the next. The bars D set down between the cleats G, and are provided at their ends with metal curved projections d, which set over the halfronnd rail 0 on the upper edge of the cleats U. The rails D are held at any desired point on the cleats by bolts 13, which throw outward into the cleats O, as seen in Fig. 3.

Each hammock or sling consists of the wide canvas bands E E, united by the side bands, E E. Each hammock is at one end buttoned to one cross-bar by the pins or buttons 0, or is otherwise permanently or removably secured thereto, and at the other end is adapted to be detachably fastened by buttons 0 to the rollers F, mounted in the standards G on the next cross-bar D. The shafts of rollers F are provided with the squared ends f f, by which, with a suitable wrench or lever, the rollers are turned to tighten the apron to any desired degree beneath the animal. The rollers are held at any required point by pins h let down through the standards G into the roller-shaft.

E are breech and breast straps, buttoned across from one bar D to the next one in front and rear of the animal, in order to prevent lurching backward and forward, and thereby displacing the bands E.

l I are cleats or rails secured to the rafters R. of the car to form attachments for the upper ends of the stanchions K. The lower ends of the stanchions are secured by pins or otherwise in the slotted foot-pieces J, supported beneath the cross-bars D by the loops L. The bars J may be held from longitudinal movementby a permanent shoulder thereon, near one end, arranged to bear against the inner crossbar, D, and a pin passed through the barJ near the other supporting-bar D.

The manner of loading the car in the use of my appliance is as follows: The first bar D is put in place at the end of the car, with the apron or sling secured thereto, as described. A single animal is admitted and stood in place beside the cross-bar so placed, and the second cross-bar D is slid into position beside the animal and bolted to the cleats O. The free end of theapron is then raised and buttoned to the rollers F of said second cross-bar. The rollers F are then turned to wind up the apron E, so

as to bear upward moderately beneath the animal. Before or while placing the second bar D the stanchion-support J is inserted, and by setting the stanchions and buttonin g the breech and breast straps the anim alis secured properly and permanently for the trip. A second animal is admitted and secured in a similar manner, and so on until the car is filled to the doorway. All the cattle in each end of the car are preferably headed one way, and a cen tral space is left free between the doors for the accommo dation of the person in charge and for feed and water.

For the purpose of feeding and wateri n g the cattle in transit the following devices are pro vided:

M M are hay-racks permanently or removably set on the outside of the car, the contents being reached by the cattle through the bars 12. The racks are filled from the top, being pro vided with the lids m, and are wholly inclosed on the outside to prevent the admission of sparks from the engine.

S S are troughs, each having the bent metal plate at on the back, by which it may he supported and slid along from the middle to the end of thecar on the guide-piecer. The troughs are provided with the short open-linked chain lat one end and the hook Z at the other, so that they may be connected and drawn along into position before the cattle and stand one trough before each animal. The troughs are filled in the central space, leftfrce, as described, and are advanced on the guide-strip r by means of the rope 1', which passes over the pulley to at the end of the car. Both ends of the rope reaching to the middle of the car, the attendanthooks one end to the first troughSand draws it along a short distance by the other end. Another trough is then attached and drawn forward, then another, and so on until a trough is provided for each animal. The distance between the troughs is regulated, at the will of the attendant, by means of the chains and hooks Z Z. To prevent the consumption of the food or water in the first trough admitted before it reaches the farthest animal for which itis intended, a long lid or board maybe hinged to the car in position to let down over the troughs. This is allowed to remain down until all the troughs are in place, when it is lifted by the attendant and access given to all the troughs at once.

It is desirable that the devices described shall be so applied that the car may be readily converted to other use. For this purpose cleats corresponding to (J in construction may be placed near the top of the car, at one end thereof, for the accommodation of the crossbars D on the return trip or until again required. The aprons may be rolled upon the bars D for storing, or they may be detached and packed by themselves. The cleats I may, if desired, be secured to the rafters by eyebolts in such manner as to swing and allow the stanchions to be turned up beneath the roof of the car without being detached from the cleats I; but as the stanchions require to be reset with reference to the breadth of in dividual animals itis preferred to remove them from the cleats when the car is to be used for other purposes than cattle freight, and to replace them as required when the car is reloaded with cattle.

The construction shown in Fig. 6 is-preferred as facilitating the placing or shifting of the stanchions, and may be described as follows:

The uprights K are provided at the bottom each with two pins, 0 O, which set in corre sponding holes 0 0 in the foot-piece J. In this construction this foot-piece may extend from the door to the end of the car. The upper end of the upright K is provided with the pin N, which is pierced near the top and loosely holds the hook l. The hook being thrown back, the pin N may be quickly set in either of the notches r. of the cleat I, and as quickly secured there by throwing the hook over the cleat I into the position shown in the said figure ofthe drawings.

The cleat (J may be permanently secured to the sides of the car at a height suited to the common height of cattle likely to be carried; but I have shown them variable in elevation by means of the devices illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the uprights A of the car-frame are slotted, and are provided with the exterior notched plates, (1. Beneath the nuts of the bolts I), by which the cleats are secured, the correspondingly-notched washers a are used, whereby the bolts may he set secure] y at any desired point in the slot without danger of lowering under the weight of the cattle resting on the cleats.

The cross-bars I) may be varied somewhat in length by having the casting D, of which the hook (1 forms part, made in the form of a cap setting over the end of the wooden bar I) and slotted at t to receive the bolt (1. The stanchions K of Fig. 6 m ay be similarly adapted to be varied in length, if desired, to meet any change in the height of the cleats O, and consequently of the cross-bars D; or the footpiece J may be sustained wholly independent: ly of the said cross-bars, and therefore at an invariable distance from the roof-cleat I, so that no change need be made in the length of the stanchions K by reason of a change in the elevation of the cleats O.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a device for securing the fixed ends of the hands E other than the buttons 0. It consists of the rods H, which pass through the eyebolts or staples i, and are intended to also pass through loops in the ends of the bands E between the staples. While this device is shown on the under side of the cross-bar D, it should, it used, be located at or near the top of the bar, that both slings may, as nearly as possible, draw from the same point on the bar, to avoid torsional strain thereon.

In the application of my invention to oceanvessels, uprights for the support of the leats G will be set as required; or, if preferred, the cleats maybe dispensed with and the crossbars directly supported at fixed distances apart by the uprights. Economy of space and greater security will, however, be generally obtained by separating the cattle only by the thickness of the bars D.

In sea-vessels the hammocks may be advantageously provided with straps connecting the bands E E with the breech and breast straps E, to more certainly prevent displacement of the sling beneath the animal by the lurching of the vessel, and such straps are not objectionable in hammocks of cars. Such a strapis shown at E, Fig. 2.

The stanchions K may, if desired, be made long enough to rest on the floor, and the footpieee J dispensed with. When the long stanchions are used a metal strip provided with holes 0 0 should be secured to the floor to receive the pins 0 O, and the holes 0 0 should be continued through the floor to prevent their filling with dirt. The suspended foot-pieces J and short stanchions have this advantage, namely: that they do not interfere in any way with the conversion of the car to other uses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with. the car or other vehicle for the transportation of cattle, of the cross-bars D, capable of adjustments vertically and longitudinally as to the car, and with adjustingmechanism attached to one of said bars, and aprons or slings connected to the crossbars, whereby the variable extension of the aprons is regulated and controlled, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the car or other vehicle for the transportation of cattle, of the adjustable supporting cleats or rails 0, provided with adjusting means, the adjustable cross'bars D, with elevating mechanism, and

the aprons or slings E, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In combination with the cleats G, the adjustable cross-bars D, provided with bolts 13,

adapted to enter holes in the cleats and secure the barsin position, substantially as described.

4. The bars D, provided with the metal suspending part D, so applied as to permit variation in the length of the bars, in combination with the cleats G, as described.

5. The combination, with the supportingbars D and aprons E, suspended therefrom, of the breast and breech straps E, one or both, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The center strap or straps, E in combination with the main bands E and breast and breech straps E, substantially as shown.

7. The combination, with the cross-bars D and bands E, of stanchions K.adjustablysupported in position, substantially as described.

8. The stanchion K, having at its base or lower end two projections or pins, 0, and at the upper end the projection or pin N, in combination with eleat I, having notches a and loop P, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In combination with the car, the sliding troughs S, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the sliding troughs S, adapted to be connected, as shown, the pulley w and rope 1', substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. In a car or other vehicle for the transportation of cattle, the combination of the cross-bars D, removably secured in position to form rigid lateral supports to the several cattle, the aprons or slings E, each extended from one cross-bar to the next adjacent, and mechanism applied to the cross-bars, wherebythe slings may be severally raised or lowered, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARQUIS F. SEELEY. Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, JESSE COX, Jr. 

